


Cooling Off

by gimmezutara



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fire Nation, Fluff, Hot summers, One-Shot, Sexy, Zutara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gimmezutara/pseuds/gimmezutara
Summary: Katara is struggling to deal with the hot Fire Nation summers, not helped by Zuko heating up the situation.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 95





	Cooling Off

**Author's Note:**

> This will likely become a two-parter and get a whole lot steamier. M rating to be on the safe side.

It was hot.

Oppressively hot.

Katara tossed in the thin silk sheets. Her brow was creased in frustration and tiredness. She kicked off the sheet so she lay on the mattress in just her pants. Her nightdress had long ago been discarded off the side of the bed. She flicked all her hair up away from her neck so it spread out on the pillow above her and tried to ignore the trickle of sweat beading down her neck.

It hit that spot that always tickled at the top of her spine and she let out a growl of frustration, kicking her legs so she sat upright.

She could feel her pulse pounding in her body from the heat. She felt sick. Now she was sat up, her hair fell in a heavy curtain about her shoulders and not for the first time she considered chopping it all off. She looked over to her right where Zuko lay sprawled in the sheets. He did not seem fazed by the heat at all, completely passed out as he was in just his underwear.

Katara huffed in frustration again, gathering her hair up above her head and viciously tying it into a bun.

She gathered some water about her arms from her vase by the bed, gently freezing a handful and pressing it to her wrists, the back of her neck and her face.

She shivered slightly at the temperature contrast but it still did nothing to ease her heat nausea. She quietly stood up from the bed and walked out onto the balcony leaning against the cool railing.

In her boiling state she didn’t even care who saw her, not that anyone else would be awake. She seemed to be the only one who couldn’t handle the hottest summer days.

She leaned into the touch of the railing slightly, breathing in the fresh air as she closed her eyes. A warm breeze blew across her face and she tilted her head towards it, attempting to get as much relief as she could from it.

She could still feel her heart pounding.

She sighed. This was ridiculous. She opened her eyes and noticed the pond in the gardens below her. Water. Blessedly cool water.

She quickly retreated into her room, grabbing her short silk nightdress off the floor. She glanced at Zuko as she stooped to pick it up. He was still blissfully unaware of the stifling heat and hadn’t moved a single muscle.

_Unbelievable_ , she thought. “Stupid firebenders,” she grumbled under her breath. She slipped on her dress and quietly left the room.

She ran out into the garden, arms spread and took a deep breath. It felt cooler here, down by the water. She reached out an arm, curling a tendril of the pond water around it and snaked it across to her other arm. She smiled as the heat seemed to be drawn from her body. She hesitantly dipped one toe in the water and shivered, smiling gleefully. She took a quick look around, then dived straight into the pond. She emerged, flicking her hair around her face, laughing happily.

She relaxed and let her body float onto its back in the cool water. She skimmed around the pond, relishing the feel of the cool liquid soothing her overheated skin. She focused on the water and directed her chi towards it as if she was going to freeze it, but held back slightly. To her surprise and joy the water dropped in temperature. She felt the coolness seep deep into her muscles and she sighed. The moonlight on her face alerted her senses, making her feel alive. She took a deep breath and sank into the pool again.

She loved to be surrounded by her element. She waved her hands causing a handful of ice flakes to condense and float upwards, glittering in the moonbeams that shone into the pool. Looking up she watched the ripples from her movements play across the surface. Then a shadow of a figure wobbled across her vision, breaking up the moonlight.

Distorted though the figure was, she’d recognise him anywhere.

She rose through the water and appeared at the pond edge.

Zuko was crouched down at the bank of the pond with a smile on his face as he looked at her.

“What are you doing?” he asked, a smile in his voice.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Katara replied, blue eyes shining up at him. She kicked back off the side of the pond floating on her back with her eyes closed again. Back to a blessedly normal temperature she was feeling much better, and rather playful.

Zuko’s eyes widened, his heart jumping a bit at the sight of Katara’s soaked night-dress. Her peaks stood out clear and dark against the silver fabric as she floated in the water. He made a slightly strangled noise in his throat, which Katara must have picked up on, because her expression shifted to a wry smile. Katara suppressed her chuckle, knowing full well what Zuko was getting flustered about. “It looks like you’re violating the ornamental pond,” he replied, his smile tugging wider as amusement laced his tone.

She scoffed and flicked some water at him, making him laugh.

He wiped the drops off his forehead. “That feels pretty good actually,” he quipped.

Katara sank completely into the water and moved back over to him, coming up so only her eyes were visible, glinting mischievously. 

“Oh no-” he began before she grabbed his arm and yanked him in with her.

Katara’s laughter rang out across the garden. He spluttered to the surface and shivered. “Agni, Katara it’s freezing in here, what did you do?”

She smiled guiltily as she remembered she had cooled the water down even further. She laughed then moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I needed to cool down. Seems I’m the only one who can’t stand this insane heat!”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her against him smiling devilishly as he leaned down to kiss her lips. She kissed him back joyfully. Then he dipped his head to suck on her neck and she laughed kicking away from him.

She panted slightly, cheeks flushed. “It is far too hot for that, Zuko,” she admonished with a chuckle. “I came here to cool down, don’t go heating up the only place that is even remotely a sensible temperature.”

He swam towards her teasingly and she swam further away, her smile widening despite herself. She backed up into the other side of the pond and he suddenly grabbed her wrists, face stopping inches from hers. She stared at him with wide eyes, chest heaving at his intensity. Then his face fell into a smirk. “Ok,” he said, kissing her chastely then releasing her and backing off a few feet.

It took a moment for her to regain her composure and she pulled a face at him. “Jerk,” she teased, half-heartedly. He chuckled then relaxed onto his back floating in the water and she followed his lead.

“This feels nice,” he sighed. Katara hummed in response.

“How did you know I was down here?” she asked, her eyes still closed.

“For a master water bender you sure don’t know how to splash around quietly,” he teased.

She pulled a silly face, even though she knew he couldn’t see. “Sorry about that,” she said.

Zuko snorted a laugh. “Yeah, you sound really sorry,” he said sarcastically.

Katara laughed, “You try staying awake all night watching your partner sleep completely soundly.”

Zuko laughed. “Guess I’ll experience that when we go to the South Pole next month.”

Katara grinned gleefully, turning to look at him. “Guess we will!” she said.

“Are you excited?” asked Zuko, already knowing the answer.

Katara sank upright into the water. “So excited!” she said. “I love it here but you people don’t even know what winter is really.”

“You people?” Zuko quirked an eyebrow, matching Katara’s position in the water. “I think you’ll find you ARE one of us people now Fire Lady.”

She smiled widely at the reminder, hand unconsciously coming up to touch her new betrothal necklace that rested against her collarbone.

“I guess I am,” she said, moving closer to him so she could touch his chest. “And YOU are one of my people too.”

“ONE of your people?” he replied, feigning confusion.

“Stop being an idiot,” she laughed, swatting his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her chuckling.

“You’re my ONLY person,” she said, looking up at him. “All mine,” she teased.

He brought his hand up to hold her chin in place, thumb lightly stroking the sensitive skin below her bottom lip. “All yours,” he agreed, smiling. “And you’re the only one for me too,” he whispered against her lips. 

She smiled and surged up to kiss him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and they continued kissing in earnest. He ran his hand down her side, grabbing her butt cheek and pulling her towards him. She gasped with a laugh muffled by his tongue. She shivered when his fingertips brushed across her lower stomach. He grabbed her hips and pressed her against him. She felt him hard against her core as her nightdress rode up...

Suddenly the temperature of the water shot up making Katara jump in surprise and back away.

She laughed and Zuko looked thoroughly gutted at his lack of self control. “Spirits, Zuko, what did I say!” she laughed. She brought her arms out wide and as she slowly lowered them the water temperature descended again. “You save that for when we need the heat,” she smirked, tapping his nose with her finger, eyes sparkling.

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll hold you to that!” he said. “Did you say it’s one month till we visit the South Pole?” He put his hand on his chin in a mock thoughtful expression so much like Sokka that Katara laughed and splashed him.

“Yes,” she said.

Suddenly Zuko had completely invaded her personal space, holding her tightly against his body. His molten eyes seared into hers with a heated gaze. “I’ll have to show you how hot it can get when we’re there then,” he smirked, his low tone sending a shock of arousal shooting between Katara’s legs. 

She tried to stammer a reply before settling for a weak mumble of affirmation, unable to remove her gaze from his.

Zuko smiled widely, amused at how speechless Katara was.

He moved back from her. “Are you ready to go back to bed now?” he asked.

Katara smiled and nodded, letting him pull her out of the water after he’d climbed out. She placed her hand on his back affectionately and he shivered at her cold touch as she moved her fingers up his spine, blue eyes glittering with mirth at his shudders of relief. He smiled at her, then offered her his pinky finger in lieu of being able to wrap his arm around her.

She smiled widely at him, linking pinky fingers as they made their way back into the palace.


End file.
